Cursed
by Willow Fireheart
Summary: Post The Curse mini. Luck just wasn't going Daniel's way, and his past just kept on coming back to haunt him. But why did this man have to join the SGC?
1. What The?

**Cursed**

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
Note2- as of my last update I have officially broken the 200,000 word count.  
xxx

Janet looked across the prone body of Dr Steven Rayner at Daniel. He was still clutching his head. Osiris had really done a number on him. Fortunately for Daniel it was Steven who had borne the brunt of the attack.

Janet chewed her bottom lip as she studied her patient. They had gotten in contact with the local authorities. Help would arrive soon to airlift him out; it was far too bumpy over those dunes to even consider driving him out of here.

"What are we going to tell him?" Sam asked from beside Daniel.

Daniel shrugged, wincing at the movement. "I don't know. Maybe that he and Sarah were exposed to some 3000 year old chemical which leaked from the cracked Isis jar."

"Maybe we don't have to tell him anything," Janet commented.

Daniel's head shot up. "What?"

"Well, General Hammond has been looking for new recruits for your department," she added.

Daniel's mouth dropped open. "Wha- but…"

Janet burst into laughter. "Oh, Daniel, I'm sorry, but your face. You should have seen it. I was just joking."

Daniel's mouth shut with an audible clunk. "Jeeze, some doctor you are. Don't do that to me!"

xxxxx

Dr Steven Rayner sat awkwardly in the well cushioned chairs that surrounded the briefing room table. The bald general at the head of the table smiled at him.

"I apologize for the delay, Dr Rayner. Our foremost expert on ancient cultures and linguistics was on a mission with SG-3, this morning they came in under heavy fire and several people were injured. As he heads up your department I'm afraid we cannot start without him."

"Aw, for cryin' out loud," muttered the gray haired man who had been introduced to Steven as Colonel Jack O'Neill. "What's taking the doc so long?"

"SG-3 brought refugees back with them, sir," the blonde woman, Major Samantha Carter, explained.

"But why is that holding him up?" Colonel O'Neill questioned. "The Spacemonkey knew he had a briefing now."

"One of the refugees was gravely injured, O'Neill," the large man, Teal'c, said calmly.

It was difficult for Steven to believe he was actually from another planet. But then the whole thing was pretty unbelievable. A stone ring capable of creating a wormhole which allowed near instantaneous travel to another planet. Wow. Those worlds populated with people descendant from ancient earth cultures. It was amazing. And to think that these people still continued with ancient practices. The things he could see. It was defiantly better than any top selling book.

The two soldiers who were guarding the door stiffened. The sound of a male voice, a very agitated male voice, drifted into the room.

"It's just a graze, Janet. I'm fine."

"Daniel, you might need a skin graft, that's more than just a graze."

"I feel fine. It's not like I'm going back off world. It's just a meeting so I can show Robert Rothman's replacement our SOP."

"That's today?"

The door to the room was opened.

"Ye- Steven?"

Steven jumped to his feet. What the hell? "Daniel!"

xxx

end mini


	2. The Back Story

**Cursed **

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
xxx

Mini 2- The Back Story

Daniel Jackson frowned fiercely as he sifted through his notes. This was just a nightmare. Janet had promised him she was joking about Steven joining the SGC and yet here Steven was, standing in his office and going through his files.

"I thought you hated the military, Daniel."

"Things change, Steven. I never thought I'd see you in a military base either." Daniel turned to face Steven. "Put that down!"

Steven looked down at the ceramic bowl in his hands. "What this? It's just an ancient Egyptian joining cup. They would drink from it at wedding ceremonies." Steven smirked and tossed the small bowl from one hand to the other. "They're a dime a dozen."

Daniel stepped forward and yanked it out of Steven's hands. "This one isn't. It's Abydoian. Sha're and I drank from it at our wedding."

Steven gaped at him.

Daniel huffed irritably. "Didn't you read the mission report?"

"It was censored."

Daniel shook his head. "You didn't even know I was involved in the SGC, did you?"

"No."

"All right. What about Catherine?"

Steven shook his head dumbly.

Daniel rolled his eyes. How the hell could Steven get involved with the program at this level without knowing at least the basics?

"It was right after I gave that lecture to the empty room. I lost my grant-"

Steven smirked.

"-as well as my apartment. Catherine Langford approached me about a translation. I arrived here and they showed me a cover stone Catherine's father uncovered at Giza in 1928. Two weeks later I realized that the symbols on the cover stone weren't hieroglyphs, they were constellations…"

xxxxx

Steven sat back. That was one hell of a story. Living on another planet for a year. Daniel actually got to live like an ancient Egyptian. Lucky bastard!

To be fair his wife and brother-in-law had been kidnapped and infested with a Goa'uld. And he lost his wife for three years. And she was killed by one of his best friends.

But the things he had seen and done. Any archeologist worth his salt would give his right arm to have seen and done half the things Daniel had experienced.

"So," he said stiffly. "You've got proof about your theory then. They pyramids really were built by aliens."

Daniel adjusted his glasses. "I never actually said that. I simply said that the pyramids were older than we first thought."

Steven shrugged. "Still, you were right and you can prove it. All those people who doubted you."

"It doesn't matter," Daniel said. He stopped and looked at Steven for a minute. "Why are you here, Steven? You had everything you ever wanted. A book on the bestseller list. With Doctor Jordan gone and Sarah- You would have been first in line to take over the department. You were even planning on buying a fancy new car. Why join the SGC?"

"You're right. I was in line to take over. I was also in line to be their scapegoat when the Egyptian government threatened to sue. The testing of the key destroyed all of my theories. The university threw me out, Daniel. I was left with nothing. And Major Davis thought I would make a good contribution to the program."

Daniel nodded. "You could. But there's one thing I need to know first. I know there's a lot of bad blood between us, Steven, but in a few months you'll be going off world with SG-1. I'm going to need to know that you can follow orders if something goes wrong."

Steven laughed scornfully. "Oh, come on, Daniel."

Daniel stared at him gravely. "I'm serious, Steven. If you can't follow orders then I can't let you off-world."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Oh, here Daniel went again. Getting on his high horse.

Daniel stared at him, unmoving.

"Fine," Steven spat out. Self important SOB. "I'll follow orders."

"Good." Daniel turned and picked up a pile of manila folders. "But before you go through the gate you've got some reading to do."

Steven took the files from him with a grumble.

"And you'll have to take a crash course in Goa'uld and Ancient." Daniel turned back to gather some of his diaries.

Steven idly flipped through the files. He stopped as a particular report caught his eye. "You blew up a Goa'uld mothership?"

Daniel looked up absently. "Uh huh. Couple of times."

"What!"

xxx

end


	3. Learning Goa'uld

**Cursed **

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
xxx

Mini 3- Learning Goa'uld

Daniel winced as Steven butchered another sentence. Steven had picked up Ancient relatively easily. Jack had, surprisingly, been a great help. It turned out those months spent in time loops had been useful. Even now Jack could speak Ancient passably. Jack had spent a few afternoons down in Daniel's lab correcting Steven's pronunciation. After a few days Teal'c had joined him. It infuriated Steven to no end but since Jack and Teal'c scared the hell out him he could nothing about it.

"Tak may tay. Kree."

Oh this was just too painful. The only word Steven was pronouncing correctly was kree, and frankly, a toddler wouldn't have trouble with it.

Daniel opened his mouth to correct him.

"Don't, Daniel."

"How are you going to learn, Steven?"

"Without you correcting me, Daniel."

"I can call Teal'c down if you like."

Steven glared.

"Or I could always arrange a trip to Abydos."

Steven sneered. Just what he needed to be surrounded by Daniel worshippers while Daniel plays the returning prodigal son role. It was bad enough here. Daniel's assistant, Nyan or whatever his name was, fawned over the man. The little guy could not say enough about him. The nurses adored him. They flirted with him like crazy, not that he noticed. Daniel's best friend was a crusty old Air Force Colonel who hated scientists. Even the marines, who sneered and bullied other academics, were respectful to Daniel- as respectful as marines could be to anyone other than a higher-ranking officer.

Having to share an office while they were setting Steven's up had been pure hell.

"Am I interrupting something, Doctor Jackson?" A tall, sandy brown haired woman, clothed in a strange greenish-gray leather outfit, stood in the doorway. She raised her eyebrow at the two men.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Ah, no… Freya. When did you get here?"

Freya smiled, pleased that someone of the Tauri could tell the difference between her and Anise. "We have been on Earth for thirty of your minutes." Curiously, she looked between the two men, an eyebrow still raised.

"We were just having a discussion," Daniel hastened to explain.

"I see." Freya stepped into the room. "Will you introduce me to your friend, Doctor Jackson?"

"Ah, yes, of course. Doctor Steven Rayner, this is Freya. Freya, this is Doctor Steven Rayner. He's new here."

Steven visibly straightened under Freya's gaze. He held his hand out to her. "Hi."

Freya stared at his hand in puzzlement before extending her own. "Hello."

"So, um, not that I'm not glad to see you but-"

"Why am I here?"

"Yeah."

"Jacob wished to visit his daughter and I wished to familiarize myself with your history."

Daniel clapped his hands together. "Actually this is perfect. Steven's been having some problems with his Goa'uld. If you and Anise wouldn't mind helping him with his pronunciation, I'm sure Steven would be glad to tell you anything you like about our history."

"Sure," Steven stepped, clearly besotted.

"Anise and I would be most pleased."

"Great, well I'll… I'll just go see Jacob." Daniel turned and hurried out of the room.

True to his word Daniel headed straight for the commissary. Jacob usually ushered Sam and General Hammond to the commissary when he wasn't on official business. Apparently Tok'ra food didn't taste better when you had a symbiote.

Daniel swiped his passcard for the elevator, a little surprised when the doors opened immediately and he was face to face with Jack.

"Jack." Daniel stepped into the elevator.

"Daniel." Jack pulled one hand out of his pocket and jabbed at a button.

"Going to see Jacob?"

"Yep. You?"

"Yep."

Jack rocked on his heels. "So, how's the new guy doing?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Butchering Goa'uld. I left him with Freya though. That might help."

Jack tensed. "She's here?"

Daniel smirked at Jack's discomfort. "She came with Jacob. I wouldn't worry too much, Jack. Steven seemed smitten."

Jack gave him a sideways glance. "You didn't tell him she was a Tok'ra, did you?"

Daniel's smirk widened. "No."

Jack chuckled. "You are a wicked man."

"I've spent far too much time with you," Daniel countered easily.

Jack swelled with pride. "Yeah."

xxx

end


	4. Playing With Guns

**Cursed**

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
xxx

Mini 4- Playing with Guns.

Steven held the holstered gun far away from his body. His distaste radiated out of every pore. "No."

Daniel sighed. He could swear that Steven did this just to be difficult. "All SGC personnel, including civilians, are required to know how to handle a firearm."

Steven snorted. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

Daniel could feel Jack's irritation. "You can't go off-world without a weapon. We won't give you a weapon. We won't give you a weapon unless we know you cam use it."

Steven set his jaw. "And if I don't want to go off-world?"

It was a stupid question. Of course Steven wanted to go off-world. He had spent the last few months learning alien languages. He had sat through one of Sam's lectures on Gate physics. And now he was baulking at combat training?

Requirements extend to base personnel. There are such things as foothold situations," Jack said curtly.

"Look, it's not boot camp. You passed the physicals. A little weapons training, a little hand to hand and you're cleared for travel," Sam reasoned.

Steven wavered. Really, how hard could it be? And what were his chances of ever having to fire it? "Will the marines be there?"

"I cleared the shooting range for training," Sam assured him.

If he wanted to travel off-world…

"Fine, I'll do it."

xxxxx

"Hold the gun firmly in both hands." Sam demonstrated with her own handgun. "Be prepared for the recoil. It will make your hands numb but tighten your grip or you'll drop the weapon. Keep your arms strong, but slightly bent to absorb the impact."

Steven's mouth hung open. This must be the soldier Sam Colonel O'Neill was talking about. He had seen scientist Sam that was one long, boring meeting on wormhole physics. He had seen Major Carter outside the mountain and she was a beautiful woman. But this was a tad disturbing.

"Aim and place your finger on the trigger and gently squeeze. Don't yank on the trigger, it'll throw your aim off."

Jack smirked at the bug-eyed expression on Steven's face.

Sam straightened and took position. "Put it all together and you should get this." She squeezed off a round. The bullet had hit the target in the head, right between the eyes.

"Holy -" Steven breathed.

"Nice shot, Carter."

"Most impressive," Teal'c agreed.

Sam beamed with pride. "Thanks. Now you try."

Steven swallowed hard. "Okay."

Steven stepped up, mentally running through the checklist.

Sam cleared her throat. "Earmuffs."

Oh, right. Steven pulled the protective earmuffs over his ears. Steven pulled the trigger.

The shot went wild.

Instinctively, the four ducked.

"Nice shooting, Tex."

"You'll do better next time."

"Perhaps you would do better with a zat'ni'katel."

Daniel cleared his throat, suppressing a chuckle. "Not bad for your first try. You might, ah, want to aim for your target though."

xxx

end


	5. Clowns To The Left Of Me

**Cursed **

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
xxx

Mini 5- Clowns to the left of me

Steven ducked behind a rock. Blasts of Goa'uld staff fire singed the air around him. Steven found himself pressed against Daniel's left side.

"You never told me it'd be like this!"

"Why do you think we took you to the shooting range?" Daniel yelled back at him.

To Steven's utter disbelief, Daniel leant back around the rock and sprayed the Jaffa with P-90 bullets.

Steven yanked him back behind the rock. "Are you crazy!"

Daniel shrugged. "Sometimes! I think, maybe, yes!"

He leant back around the rock, his P-90 firing like crazy.

Steven pulled him back again. "Stop doing that!"

Their radios crackled to life. "Daniel, Rayner, do you read?"

Steven scrambled for his radio. "They're shooting at us!" He shrieked.

Daniel rolled his eyes and thumbed his own radio. "We read you, Jack."

Steven's eyes widened at Daniel's calm reply.

"You behind that big rock?"

"Yes."

Jack's sigh echoed through the radio. "Right. Of course. T, move around to your left. Carter, you take the right. And I'll come down the middle. We could use a distraction, Danny."

"We'll provide cover fire."

"What? We will?" Steven's breathing became ragged. This wasn't supposed to be happening. This was only his second trip through the Stargate. It was supposed to be a safe archaeological dig. They weren't supposed to be ambushed by Jaffa and cut off from the rest of SG-1.

Steven laughed a tad hysterically. One trip to Abydos, watching the natives fawn over their 'Dan'yel', did not prepare him for THIS!

"Steven. Steven!" Daniel grabbed Steven's shoulder and shook it. "Snap out of it! I need you to cover your side."

"Cover?"

"Just lean around, shoot in the direction of the Jaffa and duck back before they shoot you. Can you do that?"

Steven jumped as an energy blast landed dangerously close to him. Daniel was so calm, how could he be so calm! Steven started to hyperventilate.

Daniel eyed him dispassionately. "So this is how Jack felt," he muttered lowly.

Summing up his courage, Daniel leant around the rock and let loose a spray of bullets. Out of the corner of his eye Daniel could see movement in the surrounding the Jaffa. He ducked quickly back to reload.

"Daniel, we're in position. Just give us another minute."

"Roger that, Jack."

Daniel leant out once more, but when he went to duck behind the rock he shared with Steven a staff blast caught his shoulder. It sent him sprawling backwards. Daniel's pain-glazed eyes stared, then briefly met Steven's wide terrified eyes, before Daniel blissfully sank into unconsciousness.

xxxxx

Steven fiercely scowled around the empty infirmary. Dr. Fraiser was keeping him overnight for observation. She had diagnosed him with shock the moment he stepped back through the gate. Colonel O'Neill had a nasty look cut to his thigh, Daniel had been hit by a staff weapon blast and hit his head on a rock when he fell and Steven had shock. Wasn't he the triumphant hero!

"How are you feeling, Steven Rayner?"

Steven looked up quickly. For a large guy, Teal'c could walk so quietly it was as if he was weightless.

"Teal'c. I'm fine. How's Daniel?" Steven asked stiffly.

"He fares well. This is not his first injury inflicted by a staff weapon."

Teal'c settled his hands behind his back. It was a very military gesture. Steven had noticed that Daniel had picked it up occasionally as well.

"He's quite the warrior, isn't he?" Steven commented bitterly.

"Daniel Jackson has been fighting the Goa'uld for many years," Teal'c said. "In that time he had become a fearsome warror."

Steven sunk down into the infirmary bed. That was just what he wanted to hear.

"You feel shame because you could not perform in the heat of battle," Teal'c stated calmly.

Steven's eyes narrowed. "How dare you-"

"There is no shame to be felt for your actions," Teal'c interrupted him. "In my years of service as First Prime I witnessed many soldiers who were overwhelmed by battle. They had undergone many years of training, but it was not enough to prepare them."

Steven gritted his teeth.

"Next time, you will be prepared."

Steven watched Teal'c as he turned and walked away. Really the Jaffa wasn't that intimidating. Sure he was tall and muscular and as close to invincible as a human could get. But the man was wise and noble and, God, he hoped the man was right.

xxx

end


	6. Hero

**Cursed **

Spoilers- The Curse  
Disclaimer- None of the following characters or settings belong to me, they belong all those other people who are too numerous to mention.  
Note- Thanks as always to GrayMatter.  
xxx

Mini 6- Hero

Steven scrambled on all fours to take cover behind the ruins of a temple wall. Bullets peppered the ground behind him. The local natives were far more advanced than they suspected. They just weren't pleased with the foreigners poking around in their past.

Steven pressed his back firmly against the ruins, breathing heavily. He looked up in time to see Colonel O'Neill throw himself behind a nearby half demolished wall. The man had the most insane grin on his face.

"I told you, Daniel," Colonel O'Neill yelled. "Projectile weapons. You owe me $20."

"I'll buy you a beer!" Daniel yelled back from his portion of the ruins.

"Make it two," Colonel O'Neill countered easily.

Steven shook his head in disbelief. These people were crazy, but he voluntarily joined them, so what did that make him? Why was it that every time he went out with SG-1 things like this happened? Steven craned his neck to see over the wall and fired off a couple of shots.

Sam popped her head up from behind her section of the wall just a few feet down from him and shot at the charging natives.

One of the natives shook his gun. It had suddenly stopped firing. He snarled and dropped it, yanking a large curved dagger from his belt. He drew his arm back and let it fly towards the blonde woman.

Steven's eyes widened. "Sam!"

He scrambled to feet and ran, awkwardly crouched, at Sam. Steven tackled Sam, throwing her heavily to the ground. The dagger sailed harmlessly over their heads and buried itself, up to the hilt, into the stonework.

Sam stared at the dagger and then looked back to Steven. "Thanks."

Sam hurried back to her spot and rejoined the fight.

Steven smiled wryly. "You're welcome."

xxxxx

"Brought you a beer." Daniel handed Jack a bottle of Guinness.

Jack looked up from his grill. "You know these don't count, right? You still owe me."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Jack."

Jack popped the top off his bottle and took a large gulp. He looked over his backyard, filled with SG-1, SG-13 and SG-11. SG-11 had been the team Steven had joined after his training ended.

Speaking of Rayner… Jack watched as the man laughed and talked with Sam and Teal'c.

"Rayner seems to be fitting in well," Jack commented casually.

"Mmm."

"General Hammond thinks he's doing well." Jack idly pushed at the burgers on the grill. "And he did knock Carter out the way of that knife."

"She would have ducked," Daniel defended his friend. "But I have to admit, Steven has settled into the mountain. And he's stopped throwing subtle insults into everyday conversation."

"That's a plus."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed.

"So, we're keeping him?"

Daniel looked down at his beer and then over at Steven. He hadn't seen Steven this relaxed since… Well, it had been a very long time. Steven looked over and caught Daniel staring at him. With the happy grin still on his face Daniel was reminded of the man who had been his friend all those years ago, before the petty rivalry and the jealousy.

Maybe having Steven around wouldn't be that bad.

"Yeah. We'll let him stick around."

xxx

The End


End file.
